Devil Will Cry
by AlphaBlades
Summary: The Son of Dante takes his father's place as a Devil Hunter. Now watch as he dicovers the truth about his abilites and parents' deaths. Chap 5 up and about time, too!
1. The starting of a legend

Author's note: Hello people who read DMC fics! I am AlphaBlades, also known simply as Blades. This is my first story in the Devil May Cry section but NOT my first story. Anyone who's read my other stuff might check this out so I'll just give a quick hello to them and say that I am starting to work on my OS and Rurouni Kenshin stories along with this one.  
  
Anyway, back to this. I don't know how confusing this first chapter is since it goes through three time periods and starts off basically in the middle of everything. Just be patient since EVERYTHING will be explained. I left a lot out of this for a reason. I don't know who notices what but there's a lotta secret lil things in this so keep an eye out as you read this first chapter. Anyway, drop a review and tell me if I should keep it up. Thanks everyone!  
  
And also...I dunno why I made the Blades sounds so...Surfer-like. Maybe those two specific Blades are just idiots.....  
  
This is Blades. "Good reading equals good times." I'm out.  
  
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"But you HAVE to run! You have to live, Serenity!" A man clashed in red and black yelled to the woman next to him.  
  
It was hard to hear over the chaos of the underworld, the flames and the screeching most of it in her fluent demonic tongue howled out by others for the head of the Devil Hunter.  
  
"No, we need you Dante!" She yelled back, cradling something in her arms which seemed to be wrapped in a red trench coat. Dante's coat.  
  
He ignored her pleas and unbuckled the belt around his waist, strapping it to her own as he told her what to do. "Here! Take Ebony and Ivory and get back to the gate! The bullets should still hurt the low level demons around here! Now go!!"  
  
He was interrupted by some winged beast but Alastor's blade saw an end to that.  
  
"You won't make it out! Please don't give your life for me!"  
  
"It's not only for you....." His eyes fell to the object in her hands.  
  
She looked down at the crying face before her then turned back to Dante, sobbing just as badly. "Please no..."  
  
He walked closer and put his hands on her shoulders. "You must. For you....And for him. I'll be fine so don't worry, alright? Not like it's my first time fighting down here." A playful smirk fluttered across his face. The smirk she couldn't resist. The one that made her feel like everything would turn out ok even though her mind told her different.  
  
"You better not die, Mr. Sparda." She demanded with a slight smile.  
  
His own grin widened as he replied. "You better not either, Mrs. Sparda."  
  
With that he gave her one last kiss goodbye, took Alastor from it's sheath and ran towards the hoard of enemies that was fast approaching.  
  
He sliced through them like they were nothing. He didn't let one beast past him, he COULDN'T let one past him, it might go after Serenity.....Although she was strong enough to take on a couple beatings herself.  
  
There was a loud rumble followed by an even louder explosion. Dante covered his face and looked over to where the explosion came from. A man was now standing where the sound had been, a large scowl on his face. "Son of Sparda!!" He yelled placing the large demon-style Bastard Sword onto his shoulder. "Return her to us or we will kill you! Or better yet....force you into eternal damnation....Either way I'll have fun!"  
  
Dante smirked. The demon was pretty built, that was for sure.....But he's fought things ten times bigger and meaner looking and came out fine.....This would be no different.  
  
The demon himself did look pretty threatening. He had on black armor, the kind his father and brother would wear but his had veins of lava following around it's edges. He bore no helmet just a face....The face of a human. He pondered why a demon would choose a human face. Seemed the devil was going to explain.  
  
"Come Son of Sparda!! Come and fight the general of demons.....Malik!"  
  
"Hmph, if you're done stroking your ego we can fight." Dante retorted with his patented smirk.  
  
"Very well! Let us begin!"  
  
Malik lowered his sword and charged Dante. For someone so large Malik also seemed to have tremendous speed. Dante brought Alastor up and blocked the large weapon from crushing his skull in. After a short stalemate they pushed off each other and charged simultaneously, their swords clashing and giving off both fire and electricity.  
  
Malik ducked a hard side trust by the Devil Hunter and shoved his foot deep into his stomach followed by a staggering deathblow to the back with his sword. He twisted it around in his hand and trusted it down, tip first into Dante's spine. Screaming in agony, Dante focused all his energy into a Devil Trigger. The sudden force knocked Malik back, his sword still in Dante's back.  
  
He stood up and faced Malike. Grunting a bit he grabbed the tip of the blade and shoved it back through his body sending the giant weapon flying the other direction.  
  
"Hmmm, quite resilient. Using your Devil Trigger like a trump card.....Well that won't save you!" Malik screaming as he ran towards the now demonic Dante. He swung a fist but Dante parried and took three quite slash's at his side and back. Malik doubled over and rolled over to his sword picking it up and charging back at Dante.  
  
He was surprised by Malik's own resilience. He had three deep gashes in his side but not one threw him off his offensive attack. Steel once again met steel as the battle really heated up.  
  
After awhile, the two stood looking at each other....Each with there fair share of cuts and bruises. "Good fight, Malik....But I'm about to end it. Gotta go help my family and all."  
  
"Heh, you act like you'll get out of here and have a normal life....We know about Serenity's true power....And we know her offspring may also posses it....You think we'll just STOP chasing you if you escape? Not likely pal.....You, your wife and kid.....They'll be Beelzebub feed before the end of the week."  
  
"You.....BASTARD!!"  
  
Dante ran towards his opponent, his anger like nothing anyone has ever seen before.....His demon side was really coming out now. Time seemed to slow down as he reached Malik, swinging down as he was swinging up. Their weapons hit and energy exploded, filling the whole underworld.  
  
Serenity watched her husband run into the pack of demons and took the opportunity to make her own escape. She ran for what seemed like forever, the painful screams of the demons slowly fading. She soon found the gate, her way out.....Her way to freedom....And it just so happened to be guarded by some Blades, Marionettes and a Shadow.  
  
"How am I supposed to get around them?" She thought to herself.  
  
Her thought was disrupted by a rumble and an explosion. The demons guarding the small circle on the floor turned to the noise. They started speaking to each other in their unique demonic language. Serenity, being a demon herself, listened in.  
  
"Whoa, what was that?" A Blade said to another.  
  
"I don't but DUDE that sounded big! You think that killed Dante?!"  
  
"Sure it did! I mean man! He must be a splatter on the wall!"  
  
"Hell yeah! Woo, that's SOO awesome!!  
  
The Shadow growled in anger. "Be silent. Malik must have entered the fray. Stop being stupid and watch the gate."  
  
"Oh shut up, you try to act all important all the time. Lighten up will ya?"  
  
The Shadow simply glared at the Blade. The Blade hissed in annoyance and once again talked to the second one. "I'm going to go watch the fight. You want to come with?"  
  
"Sure, not like watching the gate is of any importance."  
  
The two started to roll off. The Shadow hissed and said. "Get back here and watch this gate!" The Blades didn't listen and it hissed again but one of great anger and annoyance. It turned to the Marionettes. "YOU will watch the gate as I track them down, got it?"  
  
The all nodded once.  
  
"At least something around here is obedient...." The Shadow ran off for the Blades.  
  
Serenity raised an eyebrow. They just left the gate like that? With only low-level Marionettes watching it. She grinned. This was going to be easy.  
  
She walked up to them. They turned and stood in a defense stance, beckoning for her to come closer. She stopped and stared at them. After a moment of silence the Marionettes stopped waiting and went in for the attack.  
  
The dagger-wielding Marionettes threw their projectiles straight at Serenity. She didn't flinch as they seemed to have been stopped by some magic barrier. With titled heads her enemies looked on in amazement. A coy smile crossed her face as her velvet-shaded eyes began to glow. A bright magenta energy swirled around her, growing and pulsing. She raised her free arm towards the evil puppets and soon enough the entire room was engulfed in the same colored energy. After the flash faded nothing was standing.....Except Serenity, of course.  
  
She took a confident strode to the gate but was stopped by a hissing. At first she thought it was a Shadow but the blades coming from the darkened corner told her it was a Blade, And a large one at that.  
  
The projectiles, like the daggers, were stopped by the same barrier in front of Serenity. She took a more defensive stance and held her right arm out towards the Blade. She heard that these things could cause quite a hassle from Dante....Now she wanted to see if that was true.....But she had her child in her hands...Should she risk it?  
  
The Blade suddenly snapped at her, claw tearing through the air. To it's own astonishment that was all it tore through as it fell lifeless to the ground, a sword plunged deep into his spine. The blade was a magnificent silver made from hundreds of other lesser blades. The handle had a reptilian like skull on it with the hilt poking out from it's mouth. Two bat-like wings spreading open on each end finished off the luck. That was Serenity's personal weapon, rightly named after her.  
  
She took it from the Blade's back as it disintegrated and stepped on the gate. As the energy flowed around her, transporting her back to the human world she thought about Dante. She was worried beyond belief but she knew he would be fine.....She knew he would return to her. As the energy fully encompassed her a tremendous explosion rocked the entire underworld. She covered her eyes from the blow but soon realized she was already back on Earth's surface. She looked around as a shockwave erupted from under the street, sending huge chunks of concrete everywhere. The barrier that seemed to have been following Serenity blocked all the chunks from causing any harm to her or her son. After the shockwave stopped she just stared on....Wondering if Dante was ok.  
  
"Come back to me Dante...." She thought to herself, using her leathery wings to fly her back to their house in this human world.  
  
Ten years later  
  
A young boy was running back home 20 miles from his school. Immediately one could tell this boy was not normal, maybe his constant running at full speed all the way home was a hint, and maybe because he speed was faster then most track stars.  
  
He lived a fairly normal life considering most people were frightened of him....Well not him, more afraid of his mother. She was a demon, he knew that for as long as he could remember, it was obvious by what she looked like. Grey skin, purple cat like eyes, deep black hair that seemed to suck light itself into it, and most evident of all....The large bat-like wings on her back which she never tried to hide.  
  
He looked human though, in every way. The only thing people really noticed about him, aside from his physical abilities, was his hair and eyes. He had the same ebony hair as his mother but had the eyes of deep blue crystal.  
  
The boy walked up to the door to his house and turned the knob. As he turned it he noticed the door was already open. This started to bother him and his edginess only grew as he entered the house. Something smelled rotten but he couldn't quite figure out what it was, some kind of meat or something. His furniture and other things were scattered all over the room, there was some kind of fight in here. Where was his mom?!  
  
A chilling sensation went down his spine as he felt something was wrong. He KNEW something was wrong....He didn't want to move, the feeling was overbearing him....Yet he was moving, somewhat out of his own power. He wandered into the main room to find the most horrific thing he would ever see in his time on this earth.  
  
A crucifix was hanging high on the opposite wall, it seemed to be drenched into some eerier blue glowing liquid which he would later find out was Holy Water. It was what was hanging from the crucifix that got the boy's attention. It was a demon. A female demon.....He mother. Her hands and feat were nailed to the cross and wings nailed just above the wood. Burns seemed to cover her naked body and were most likely from the Holy Water and having to touch such a holy symbol. The coop de gra was her own sword plowed deep into her chest with a sign hanging off of it. It read: "I HAVE RETURNED –S.O.S."  
  
The boy couldn't help but empty the contents of his stomach onto the bloody floor. Tears flowed like rivers from his face, marching down his cheeks. He ran the other direction, towards the door, his back pack still on and a red coat's sleeve flailing from it's opening.  
  
8 years later. Present time  
  
"Hey, you going to sit here all day?" A waitress said to the man in front of her.  
  
"Yeah, guess I should get this over with anyways." He said, standing up.  
  
The waitress watched him start to put his gear back on after taking it off when he walked in. The slipped on a long red coat and picked up a belt with two pistols in it, placing them around his waist and positioning the guns at his back. Next he took a sword from the seat next to him and put it on his back. The handle seemed to be made of different types of bones with a red ruby sitting in the middle next to wear the blade started.  
  
"What's with all the weapons?" She asked.  
  
"All? I just have my hand guns and Salvation. I wouldn't call that a lot, Missy."  
  
"Salvation?"  
  
He sighed. "My sword...."  
  
"Ohhhh....You name your weapons?"  
  
He seemed to be clearly annoyed now. "Look, does it really matter? You're interrupting me with all these stupid questions."  
  
"Interrupting what? Who are you to be just be all high and mighty?"  
  
He smirked at her, a cocky little smirk that has been seen before by a man of great power. "The name's Ash and I'm a Devil Hunter. I've been chasing a demon all around God's creation for a week for a hefty sum of money. I finally trapped him here."  
  
"Oh what a load of crap. You really expect me to believe that? Where's this demon anyhow?"  
  
"Oh, he's right over there." He said pointing to the bar. "The bartender."  
  
With that said the bartender looked up at him with fear in his now cat like red eyes. He'd been found out even through his human disguise, he jumped up on the bar and ripped off the human flesh spreading his wings and flying for the door. He was defiantly a fast one, that was for sure.  
  
"Oh not again!" Ash yelled, pulling the two guns from his back and firing at the now escaping demon. He got him good in the whole left side, including and couple well aimed shots into his wings. The thing tumbled out the doors and started to now stagger away. Ash put the gun in his right hand back into it's holster, grabbed his cup of coffee and casually walked to the doors, the waitress following him, her eyes fives times bigger then normal.  
  
He aimed the gun at the demon and plugged five more shots into his other wing, arm, and leg. He grinned as the thing flopped around helplessly on the ground. Ash looked over at the waitress and handed him his coffee. "Could you hold onto this for a second?"  
  
She nodded still looking at the demon before her. Ash walked closer to the devil and put his other gun away, trading it for the sword on his back. He stopped about five feet away and looked at it. "Done running, huh? Good, time to get the amulet back and get my money."  
  
The demon hissed at him then charged some kind of energy up in his mouth. A split second later and large fire ball exploded from the mouth and headed right to Ash who simple stood there, smirking. The ball of flames got closer but seemed to split and disperse only inches in front of Ash. After the small puffs of smokes faded the people around could see a faded aura of red energy, some type of barrier perhaps, around the man in red and black. "That's ALL you got? I can't believe I chased you down for so long just to find out you're not even worth my time....Worth the money, tough."  
  
The demon, now enraged, charged.....Well stumbled really fast more then anything, towards the Devil Hunter.  
  
"Hmph." He said with a smile as he raised his sword up in one hand and let it come crushing down on his enemies head. It was almost too sad to watch. The thing fell and soon disintegrated leaving only a small blue orb.  
  
Ash walked over to it and picked it up. "You were one bitch to find but now it's time to cash you in for a pretty penny." He placed it in his coat pocket and walked over to the waitress who was STILL dumb-founded.  
  
He took his coffee and waved his hand in front of her face, getting her attention. "Hey, thanks for holding that.....Do I owe you anything for it?"  
  
"Huh? Uh, no! The bartender's kind of umm....Dead now, so I guess it's on the house."  
  
"Great well I'll be out of here. Oh! And you might want my card. That thing was a Raziel, they usually travel in packs and avenge their dead comrades so I'll most likely have to return."  
  
She took the card and read it out loud. "'Devil Will Cry. Complete and total demon extermination.' "  
  
"Yep. 'You pay, we slay.' Just call the number and tell me who you are, where to go, and what's bugging you. I'll be here in a flash."  
  
With that he put his shades on and hopped on his bike, riding off on the dirt path back to his office in the city. 


	2. The Infinity Artifact

Author's note: Heeeyyy!! Sorry this took so long but I had to get through my exams. Now since school's over I can work harder then ever. Anyway, I'll be updating this one more frequently then any other story since this one's still fresh in my mind. Sorry Mei that you know nothing about DMC!! Anyway, here's another chap and again.....Sorry for the delay.  
  
This is Blades. "Good reading equals good times." I'm out.  
  
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In his office, the original building in which his father spent so many long hours, Ash was busy taking calls from his endlessly busy phone. Seems everyone in the world was calling him to kill something. He didn't mind though, he knew a demon killed his mother so if he kept tracking these things down he should hit the jackpot sometime. Hell, he might even find out what happen to his father.  
  
"No ma'am, I'm telling you right now. That's not a demon in your attic. It's probably some birds. If they were real demons they'd be doing more then just scratching around. If you want I'll send some Blades over there and you'll see what a real demon is like."  
  
Ash sighed as he hung up the phone with yet another stupid customer. It wasn't down long though before it rang again. He already had three full pages in his little notebook full of people who would pay him to get rid of their problems. He'd have to go out and actually DO his job in a couple minutes. "Devil Will Cry. Name, place, and problem." He commanded into the receiver.  
  
"Is this Ash Sparda, son of Dante Sparda?"  
  
Ash's eyes widened. "Who is this? How do you know my father?"  
  
"Don't believe everything that is fed to you."  
  
There was a click then a dead line. Ash growled and slammed the receiver down, almost breaking it. Who was that? Ash wasn't sure but he did know he was the son of Dante....He smiled, looks like he was getting closer. He picked up his notebook and went out to finish his jobs.  
  
Ash sighed as he spent almost all day getting those things done. Man, he never had a real challenge.....Except for that one house filled with Shadows. He shivered at the memory, remembering how bad he got beaten up on that one.  
  
He walked up to another house that called him, an old man came out and confronted him. "Good you're here. There seems to be some lizard thing in my daughter's room! You have to get rid of it."  
  
"It's a Blade." Ash thought to himself. "Another easy mission."  
  
He walked in and was directed to the room. Immediately he could feel the presence of a demon. It was faint, but still there. He walked up to the door and opened it, not caring about any kind of protection.  
  
There it was, the Blade. It snarled and already went in for a strike. Pumping its hand with blood then shooting its claws towards the Devil Hunter. He sighed as they stopped in front of him, cracking and shattering in his red barrier. He raised his right hand up and pointed the gun at the lizard like demon, collecting the same red kind of energy into his weapon. A second later and a crimson streak ran across the room striking the beast in its armored face, cracking the mask. Before it could recover, Ash was already on top of it swinging his sword in an "X" fashion finishing off with a hard thrust into its gut sending it flying out the window behind it and disintegrating into the air.  
  
Ash sighed and turned around. "'kay, I'm done. Now pay up so I can leave."  
  
The man nodded and gave him a nice wad of cash. Ash sighed and went back to his bike. As he was about to ride off he saw a little girl in the front door, her beautiful pure blonde hair swinging down by her feet. Must have been the old guy's daughter whose room was previously occupied.  
  
"Say hello to your mother for me." She told him in the most calm, yet at the same time eeriest, tone he had ever heard....Not to mention she said something about his deceased mom.  
  
He took his sunglasses off and turned to the young girl to ask how he knew about his mom and why he should say hi.....And maybe even ask who she was to begin with but as he turned to her direction she seemed to have vanished into the nothingness of the sky around them.  
  
Shaking off the REALLY strange feeling he was now having, Ash started up his bike and drove back to his office to check on what new messages he might have collected over his absence.  
  
The engine of his bike slowly die into silence as he hopped off and entered the, now bigger then when he first found it, building. Ash added to its structure here and there over the months to accommodate his living requirements, soon turning it into not only his office but now his home.....Home in the middle of the ugliest place he had ever seen. But beggars can't be choosers, he always thought.  
  
Ash yawned and twisted the knob on his door, listening to its loud creak as it opened. He thought about fixing that creak but how would he know if someone was coming in "uninvited."  
  
Ash looked and his desk and grinned. "Well speak of the devil....Well think more precisely." He said as he stared at a man reclining most comfortably in his chair, feet up on the desk and everything.  
  
"Well we finally meet Ash, son of Dante, the Legendary Dark Knight's blood running through you. Also the first three quarters demon with psyonic blood."  
  
"Yeah, guess this is the first time person-I-don't-know, son of someone-I- don't-care-about, the only person to actually piss me off but reciting a family tree."  
  
The man laughed and stood up, two silver gauntlets, looking demon-made, shone from under his long black shirt. His boots clanked loudly on the floor as he approached the Sparda. "I have news for you." He said, a devilish grin slithering across his face.  
  
"Oh, from who?"  
  
"Not from who.....More from where. And it's more of a job then anything."  
  
"Oooo, now we're getting somewhere. Does this job involve cash?" The Devil Hunter asked, tilting the shades on his face down slightly.  
  
"Depends if you get out alive or not."  
  
"Ahhh, it's one of THOSE missions."  
  
"What are 'THOSE' kinda missions you speak of?"  
  
"The kind were I pick how many zeros go after that pretty little one on the check."  
  
The man shrugged. "Put as many zeros as you want on it, Mr. Sparda. Money is not an option.....We just want this thing done and over with and only you can help us."  
  
Ash almost started drooling on himself. "The five greatest words that could ever make up a sentence..."  
  
"Only you can help us?"  
  
"No, idiot! Money is not an option! You have yourself a deal, Mr.....Umm...."  
  
The man laughed and shook his head, cutting Ash's sentence off as if he didn't need to answer such drivel. "I'm sorry, I forgot to mention one miner thing....You must be tested, of course.....To make sure our beliefs in you are just."  
  
Ash rolled his eyes. "Of course...." He sighed and asked how he was going to be tested, already knowing the answer.  
  
"You must battle me...."  
  
"There's a shocker....." Ash muttered under his breath, something the man wasn't able to pick up on.  
  
"So, ready to be tested?"  
  
"What? Oh no, not yet.....I need to grab my number two pencil." He replied, reaching for the sword on his back. Pulling it out he smirked and said. " 'kay, ready now."  
  
"Very well." The man's light-hearted attitude drew to a more serious one as an aura of dark blue surrounded his body.  
  
Ash thought this as an attack and went into a defensive position but in reality it was really expanding around the room, engulfing everything in the same darkish color. A moment later there were on what seemed to be a mountain's edge, a large and probably just as steep cliff lay behind Ash in the menacing of ways. He turned to the opponent, smirk still running wild. "Nice trick but changing scenery alone isn't going to help you win."  
  
The man stifled a laugh. "I didn't make myself head of the Underworld's demonic army by simply changing landscape, you know."  
  
"Whoa, fancy title. Makes me think my job is all the more important.....But now that you mention that little tid-bit of info how are you so sure I'll even want to HELP you? You should know by now that I'm like your number one enemy...."  
  
"My enemy's enemy is my friend. Ever heard of that before, Devil Hunter?"  
  
Ash pondered the phrase in his mind for a couple minutes. This man has clearly been talking to him in riddles this whole time, he just had to be smart enough to figure them out. Ash didn't know why he was even trusting this 'man' but something told him to do so....He shook that feeling off and thought about what he just said. "My enemy's enemy is my friend." It's obvious they have a common adversary but who would want to destroy the demons AND someone who wished the same fate upon them? This thing....Whatever it was clearly had no side, a figure of neutrality, probably hating both humans and demons alike....Perhaps the hatred comes from having to come between both forces numerous times, maybe this thing was even a half-blood who just wanted to end the whole 'war' once and for all. And another thing.....Why was it right now this man decided to call him a Devil Hunter? He knew his name.....Ash 'hmphed'. Just another piece of this damn puzzle and his opponent would supply him with more pieces......But ones that didn't fit and just had to make this all the more difficult...  
  
"It seems you need more incentive then just the endless amount of cash we'll be giving you." Did he say "We'll"? As in.....More people are involved then just him? "So I'll let you in on one more thing. There is an artifact, it's called the Infinity Artifact. It's one no one has ever seen thus no one knows if it even exists or not.....This artifact has the ability to give it's wieldier anything he or she desires but at a great cost."  
  
"What's the cost?"  
  
The man shrugged. "No one knows. Never been found, remember?"  
  
".....Oh yeah....."  
  
The man snickered and went on. "There's one more thing. It's supposed to be protected by some guardian. Maybe this is why it's never been found....Anyway, this person is now searching for the artifact...And we know he has the means to find it and we even think....He has already."  
  
"If he's found it then why do you need me? I bet he's already wished for eternal life of power or something. I highly doubt I would be any match...."  
  
"No, just because he found it doesn't mean he can use it. It takes more then just saying 'give me what I want!' for it to actually do what you say."  
  
"So what do you have to do?"  
  
"Man, you are a thick one.....No one has found it so no one knows!"  
  
"Ohhh! Well excuse me!! Jeez, don't have to be such a tight-ass..."  
  
"Don't have to be such an imbecile."  
  
Ash sighed. "So it that all you have to tell me?"  
  
"So far, yes. That's all you need to know."  
  
"There's more?"  
  
"Yes but like I said....That's all you need to know."  
  
Ash 'hmphed' once more. "Guess we're done talking?"  
  
"Hey! Glad to see you got something right!" The man laughed and held his arms down at his side.  
  
Ash held his sword loosely in his left hand, smirking at the man. "Yeah, whatever.....Anytime you're ready, stranger."  
  
"The name's Kilik. Stranger just doesn't have a good ring to it."  
  
Ash nodded and motioned for him to start his attack. He was pretty edgy now and since they were just starting to get on each other's nerves.....Now was a perfect time to start a fight.  
  
Kilik seemed to agree with Ash because not another moment later did he charge at the red and black clashed man. He raised up his right arm, now showing his whole silvery gauntlet. Ash raised his sword up waiting for Kilik to draw ever more closer but to his surprise and dismay something shot from his gauntlet and right into Ash's chest. It seemed like a long metallic whip that was still hooked securely to the arm-guard.  
  
With the flick of his other wrist, another metal whip pieced Ash's abdomen. Groaning, he tried to step back and away from the weapons but they simple wrapped around him, not relenting on their painful attack. Kilik grinned and pointed his hands into the sky, Ash following the direction at the other end of his whips. He wasn't up there for long before he was sent crashing back down to the hard floor only to be picked back up and dropped five more times over. Ash's sword was lost around the third dropping so it was basically up to his own wits seeing as he couldn't quite reach around to grab his pistols. Kilik laughed as he hurtled Ash down for the billionth time but this time keeping him there as his whips prodding around and through his body. Cracking of bones, ripping of flesh, and tearing of organs could be heard miles away but only if you could ignore the painful screams coming from Ash's own mouth.  
  
"Utterly pitiful, Devil Hunter." There's that name again! "And we thought you could actually help us....You were supposed to be the best of the best....Even better them HIM. Alas, time to end this. You don't deserve to live if you can't even beat 'lil ol' me.' Ha...Pathetic."  
  
Ash's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as he could feel the whips trying to escape his body.....But in the most painful of ways. He closed his eyes and tried to think of something to do. Something...ANYTHING!! He fought against the whips but mainly used his strength to stop them from coming out all-together. He favored them in his body, killing him slowly then them ripping him out, killing him quick....Holy crap....What was he thinking?  
  
A sigh of annoyance could be heard from the demonic general and soon enough he picked Ash up and brought him closer towards him, almost face to face. "I'll give you one thing," He started, sneering through his words. "you have his stamina...But you don't have his strength.....Nor hers. You would think they could dish out something better then you..."  
  
Ash gagged and splattered up some blood before finally being able to speak. "W-Who are you t-t-talking about-t-t...."  
  
"Still as ignorant as ever, eh?"  
  
Just then, it hit Ash....Could he be talking about his parents? The thought triggered the blackened memories of his past and now the pain in his chest wasn't nearly as bad as the pain coming from his head. All he could see was his mother.....Just hanging there...Anger filled Ash's body and a familiar red glow encompassed him. Kilik grinned as his eyes grew bigger, knowing what was happening. FEELING what was changing in him. It was his lineage...  
  
"That's it..." He whispered to himself. "Unleash it and help us defeat him...."  
  
Suddenly the large mountain they were on with a flash of crimson. Kilik's whips shot from theirs holes and coincidently, right into him. Kilik himself was doing a decent amount of flying far, far away from Ash.....But not by his own choice, of course.  
  
Ash stood in the center of everything, looking down, his black hair covering his now glowing red eyes. Energy surged around him, giving him a look of something more vicious.....Something more evil. His muscles seemed to have tensed and bulged but weren't that noticeable to begin with. After a while, he looked up at Kilik who was back in front of him, grinning like a mad dog. "Did you do it?! Are you changed??"  
  
Ash titled his head to one side and tried his best to raise an eyebrow but glare manacling at him at the same time. "What do you mean??"  
  
Kilik sighed. "No, you haven't.....But you're close. Looks like you used enough energy to properly heal yourself. You're your Mother's son, all right."  
  
Ash's glare became one of shock. His red glow quickly faded. "You know my mother?!"  
  
"Of course I do!! You should have figured out who I am by now from my name.....Or perhaps I should have put the title 'uncle' before it."  
  
Ash's shock was now one of confusion and amazement. "You're.....Her brother?"  
  
"Yep." He answered with a bow. "The only family she had. Damn shame I don't have the same abilities as she had though, real pity...I could have put them to good use.....Buuut they only went to the females of our family. Still wondering why YOU have them seeing as you're male. Maybe the combination of your father's legendary blood had something to do with that."  
  
Kilik seemed to lower his voice and head as he talked about Ash's father. "I suppose you know some stuff about Dante, too?"  
  
Kilik shot a glance at Ash that could have hurt him more then any one of his whips. "Never mention that monster's name in front of me again! Your father or not! He's the reason my sister had to die such a gruesome death!!"  
  
Ash cocked his head. "What do you mean?"  
  
Kilik shook his head. "You really know nothing, do ya? My sister left nothing for you to remember your past?"  
  
"Not really. Just this coat.....Everything I know now is just from memory."  
  
Kilik breathed in a sighed deeply. "Well where should I begin.....Perhaps like this."  
  
Kilik reached around his back and pulled a belt holding two holstered guns. He threw them to Ash's feet who picked them up and started to exam them. They were of high quality, perfect design and lovely color of black and white. One was one color and one was the other. They were also twin .50 caliber. The big tough kind of guns Ash liked.....They were nothing like the measly magnums he normally kept with him. Inspecting them a bit closer he saw two names written on both guns.  
  
"Ebony and Ivory." He said aloud, gasping as he realized who exactly owned these guns. "These were Da-er....My father's."  
  
Kilik winced but seemed grateful that Ash didn't say his name. "Yeah, they were. Your mom gave them to me as a 'momento.' Some memory.....Looking at those just reminds me of my hatred of him."  
  
"Why do you hate him so much?"  
  
"Because he has changed, Ash. His power is going to his head. Everyone knows he's clearly years ahead of Mundus and he's the strongest demon to date, aside from Lucifer of course. But now knowing no one can stop him, he's looking for ways to finally flatten out the demonic race."  
  
Ash shrugged. "I care about you people....Why? If you want my opinion about this then I say 'more power to him.' "  
  
"As I thought you would.....Until I told you he's not all 'there' now, if you catch my drift. He believes every living thing is evil, that the sins you humans make everyday bring you closer and closer to becoming us. I hope you see where I'm going with this."  
  
"He wants to wipe out the humans too?!"  
  
"You got it....And he's even looking for some help. He's trying to find something that will make his wish come true in one fell swoop."  
  
"The Infinity Artifact." A shiver ran down Ash's spine as he came to his conclusion.  
  
"Exactly. And now you know why we need you of all people. Who's better fit for the job of taking down the 'Great Dante Sparda' then his own son?"  
  
"I.....I don't know if I can do it....."  
  
"You better make up your mind because the only fact we DO know about the Infinity Artifact is that it can only be operated during the light of a full moon. The next full moon is in four days. Better get cracking."  
  
The blackened energy around them slowly sucked itself back into Kilik and as the last bit disappeared, he too dissolved into nothingness, leaving Ash to dwell alone in his office with Kilik's last words ringing through his mind. "You may not want to kill him but he'll have no trouble casting the punishment upon you."  
  
Ash sat in his chair and sighed, not knowing if what Kilik said was true or not. He had no proof that ANYTHING that little bastard said was right, he didn't have any proof.....None at all. Ash decided to take the job but with an open mind. He didn't want to convict his father of anything until he saw the facts first hand. He just hoped there weren't any facts to find..... 


	3. Drak and Sparky

Author's Note: Hello once again! Another chapter brought to you from my crome-dome. Anyway, I liked this chapter, had some stuff floating around that I'm seriously going to use in later chapters. I'm keeping the mystery to this going strong until I can pull it out in a big twist. Anyway, thanks to Blaze (Don't know the last part of your SN) and Ekobean for their reviews. Hopefully I get more from you two and others around here anyway, thanks again and I'll check out some of your works when I get a chance.  
  
This is Blades. "Good reading equals good times." I'm out.  
  
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Ash sighed as he twirled around in his large, red, plush seat in front of his desk. Two days have passed already and so far no leads. Nothing. Not even so much as a whisper of this Infinity Artifact or anything even relating to it since Kilik came. He was thinking more and more that everything that demon said was a load of crap.....That is until his phone rang.  
  
"Devil Will Cry. Name, place, and problem."  
  
"Come to the old train station. I'll be waiting."  
  
A click from the other end showed Ash that he wasn't going to get any questions in about who that person was and from the sound of it, it was a female but that's all he could really tell. At least he knew what gender to look for when he got there. Ash, still wearing his shades even through the darkness of the night, saddled upon his bike and rode off in the destination, hoping to get there as quick as possible.....Why was he trying to get there so quickly, anyway? The person left nothing for him to really know except to go to the train station.....What if it was a trap? Ash laughed at the thought. Someone trap HIM? He doubted it.....Then again, a couple more 'Kiliks' coming at him would be worse then a thousand Shadows.  
  
He was there in a matter of minutes. The station was only a few miles from his office and since it was around the middle of the night anyway, going one-hundred down the street was no problem. He was always a speed freak anyway, even when the roads were crowded.  
  
He walked in and looked around being able to see pretty well considering that there was hardly any light AND he still had his sunglasses on. Ash never liked to show his eyes if he could help it. They seemed to be the only way people could tell he was demon and humans didn't look too kindly on demons nowadays.....Even if they were trying to save their sorry asses.  
  
He walked around and half sighed to himself. This had wild goose chase written all over it. He turned on a heel and started walking back to the entrance when he heard something behind him. It was small, but still there.....Like a shuffling of feet or more like cloth rubbing against the dusty stone floor of the station. Ash turned but noticed nothing, he sniffed the air around him but caught no distinct odor. He wasn't too shocked about that thought.....His smell wasn't that great to begin with and he couldn't figure out how some people could actually SMELL demons. Ash didn't care though because he could always FEEL if they were there.....But he didn't get that feeling, either. Just a moment of uneasy-ness.  
  
Ash shrugged and continued walking out. But again he heard the noise, closer this time and much quicker. He dared not to reach for any weapon on his body in case whatever around saw it as a threat. He didn't want to start slicing up scared humans lost in this place.  
  
An idea juggled around in his mind to shout out to whatever was there but he decided against that. Why give whatever was out there a head's up? If there was even anything out there to begin with.  
  
Ash took his sunglasses off and put them in the inner pocket of his coat. He could see much better now, what he lacked in smell he made up for in sight. He could spot a spider spinning its web in total darkness twenty miles away.  
  
Taking another wave across the station, he looked for anything peculiar but still found nothing.  
  
"Hmph, must be the wind." He finally concluded as he once again started walking away.  
  
Perhaps he shouldn't have spoke out loud as just when he finished talking an ear-bursting screech rumbled around the station only to be amplified by its barren walls. Ash clutched his ears and fell to his knees, screaming but not hearing his own yells over the horrible screech. The station seemed to feel just as bad as Ash as it to was trembling from the sound.  
  
Ash, without thinking, yelled for the noise to stop. Even though he couldn't hear what he was saying, the maker of the sound must have since it stopped only seconds later. He stood up and looked around, a ringing clear in his eardrums. He shook his head a couple times, trying to shake the headache off.  
  
After awhile he regained his full composer and was now holding Salvation nice and tight in his hands.  
  
"Show yourself!!" He yelled, his own voice coming back to him from the echoing of the walls.  
  
A figure stepped from the shadows and looked up at Ash, her blonde hair brushing against the floor.  
  
Ash knew who it was almost immediately. "Hey, you're that little girl. Are you the one that called me?"  
  
She shook her head once.  
  
"Are you also the one who made that sound?"  
  
She nodded her head once.  
  
Now Ash was thoroughly confused. Might as well stick to her 'yes' answer and try not to mind her not actually speaking.....She might be deaf...At least he hoped so. She didn't FEEL like a demon so Ash just hoped she was a human so he wasn't getting involved with some other eerie thing....Aside from his whole 'crazed father' case.  
  
"Why?!" He practically yelled, still hearing the ringing in his ears.  
  
She walked closer to him, pointing at his face. She got closer and he noticed her fingers were directed at his eyes.  
  
"Is something on my face....?" Ash seemed kind of absent from the whole conversation seeing as she wasn't really answering him.  
  
She shook her head no and confirmed that she was really pointing at his eyes by shaking her finger and practically sticking it through his face.  
  
"Ok, ok! I get it, my eyes! What about them?"  
  
She kneeled down and began to run her index finger over the dusty ground. After a short while she stood back up and pointed down.  
  
Ash read out-loud what she had wrote. "'You have his eyes.' Who's?"  
  
She had a look of distress and reached her hand around Ash's waist, poking at Ivory's handle.  
  
"Do you mean my father? Are you trying to say something about Dante?!"  
  
The girl nodded her head excitedly.  
  
"Ok, what about him?"  
  
Her head fell, Ash guessed whatever news she had wasn't good.  
  
She scribbled some more in the dust and Ash read once again. "'It's not what you think.' What do you mean? Are you talking about what Kilik told me? How do you know about that....? Who are you, really?" Ash's curiosity grew with every question.  
  
The mention of Kilik's name must have sent fear into the child because she started to walk backwards, death itself in her eyes.  
  
"Hey, it's ok. He's not even here. Don't be afraid." Ash said, trying to comfort her.  
  
She wasn't calming down, though. She just stared at him. Ash walked closer and saw something.....She wasn't staring at him, she was staring PAST him.....But at what? He turned and looked down the tunnel seeing nothing. Just as he started walking towards it to inspect what exactly was in there a low rumbling came from somewhere in the tunnel and a low, glowing red aura seemed to resonate from the sound. The light flicked and bounced off the walls and Ash knew at once this was a light coming from a great fire. Whatever was down there had a very hot temper.  
  
He turned to the little girl, who was a couple more feet away. "Hey, is that what you're running from?"  
  
She nodded her head and another, louder then the first, roar came from the halls.  
  
"Yeah, thought so.... Ok, come with me, we're out of here."  
  
He tried to grab for the girl but she only began to run. Ash chased after her but she was much faster then she looked. Another roar came and again it was louder and more vicious sounding then the others but this time it was accompanied by a rumbling of the whole station.  
  
Ash lost his footing and fell to the ground, loosing sight of the girl. He looked back up and looked around for her but she was gone, vanishing into thin air. Ash beat the ground with his fist. "NO! I was so CLOSE!! She must have known something about my father but she's gone now! No, no, no, no!!!"  
  
A forth roar told Ash the thing was about to emerge from the tunnel. He was wondering if he should even try to fight the thing but from what he heard and what he could see, he decided against it. Ash ran towards the exit of the station but was stopped by some force when he reached the door. He put his hand out to touch what was in front of him when, without warning, a grey, ghost-like hand jumped out and tried to grab him. Ash leapt back and took out Salvation. The hand went back into the door and a flash of ghostly heads glinted around before once again disappearing.  
  
"Damn, there's something blocking the door." Ash thought out loud. "Guess I'm going to have to fight that thing after all...."  
  
He made his way onto the tracks and looked down the tunnel. For a second nothing was happening, nothing was moving if as the creature just vanished. As happy as Ash was to think this might have been the case, it wasn't. A train suddenly came barreling towards him, giving no hint that it was about to stop anytime soon.  
  
Ash couldn't react quick enough so he did the next best thing. Jump up and through the front window. He landed hard on the train's floor but all in all he was fine. Ash stood up and started running to the other end, trying to get out of the train as quickly as possible. Half-way through he saw something that changed his mind about jumping out. A large, red, dragon- like, decaying head was fast approaching the train. It's body filling the whole tunnel behind it. Ash stopped and looked in awe at it, grabbing for Salvation's handle which he had re-sheathed before hitting the window. The beast saw his hand rise up towards his sword and pulled its head back, collecting what Ash thought was a powerful blast in his gullet.  
  
Its mouth glowed red and soon enough a thick tower of flames was speeding towards Ash, ready to fry him to a crisp. He put both hands out in defense and forced the fire to trail around his body. After the attack was over he gave one last push and forced the last of the flames crashing through the windows.  
  
The creature looked as shocked as anything looking this disgusting could. It let out a screeching kind of roar. Not one like the others before, this one was higher and seemed more like it was hurt then anything. Ash was wondering what was going on but his answer soon came. The thing was calling other demons to help it and those other demons were the most annoying things Ash had every seen. Beelzebubs They came swarming through the broken windows by the thousands, quickly filling the whole train. Ash covered his face and swatted them away. The over-grown flies were not even close to being a threat to him but there was so many and he couldn't concentrate on fighting in such a tiny place. His problems went from bad to worse as the giant dragon-beast clamped its long jaws onto the back of the train, trying to fit the whole thing in it's mouth and eat it in one bite.  
  
Ash yelled in great annoyance as the train crept slowly closer and closer into the beast's mouth. He started to run back to the window, arms still covering his face and swatting away the Beelzebubs. Ash could feel it's hot breath on his back as he jumped through the window and ran down the tunnel, still being pestered by the bugs around him. Man just wait until he got to the station's end where he would have enough room to fight.  
  
As if commanded to appeared, that very thing Ash wished for came into view. He leapt out of the tunnel and stood in the middle of the darkened room, Ebony and Ivory out and blazing. The flies were dropping like....Well flies. Ash never felt more powerful, his father's guns were the perfect epitome of power. It seemed like every shot guided itself to its destination, taking down the annoying demons but the packs.  
  
After six clips and hoards of Beelzebubs later, the dragon finally emerged from it's hole. Ash smirked and raised Ebony and Ivory to meet it. "Suck on lead, bastard." He said coolly, charging his shots with red energy before letting them rip into the air.  
  
Screams of pain could be heard from the beast as shot after shot pieced it's raw hide. If Ash thought Ebony and Ivory were great before, well that was nothing to the charged shots he was giving out now.  
  
The dragon, now toughly pissed, lunged at Ash who preformed a perfect back flip as he continued his assault. The beast stopped charging and closed its eyes, it was charging up for something Ash had yet to see but this didn't stop Ash from emptying the last few clips into it's skull. He put Ebony and Ivory away and traded them for the cold, hard steel of Salvation. Waiting for it's attack, Ash held his ground.  
  
"Sparky!!" A voice shouted through the walls. "Down!!"  
  
'Sparky' listening to the mysterious voice suddenly became dormant and slithered back into it's hole in the tunnel.  
  
Ash was more then a little surprised at this feat. Who the hell stopped that thing from attacking? More importantly....Who the hell would name something like that SPARKY?!  
  
The wall to his left suddenly started to glow a light green color as a man, around Ash's height but perhaps much older, can't really tell with demons, stepped out.  
  
The man's hair matched the light green of the wall, which had now faded away. His eyes were a beautiful emerald green which seemed to emit their own light, much like Ash's dark blue eyes. They also had more of a cat-like look to them. He wore a black sleeveless shirt with forest green army fatigue pants. A large, crookedly misshapen broad sword hung on his back and a smoother slimmer sword was attached at the back of his belt, the sword itself parallel to the ground.  
  
"Greeting fellow devil Hunter. I am Drak, a half-blood. My mother didn't find out my pop was a demon until they had me. Shame really, first person I kill and I didn't even know I was doing it."  
  
Ash winced at the thought of his mother dieing at this man's birth.  
  
"Ah well, she tasted good. That's all that mattered." He said with a laugh.  
  
"That's sick." Ash responded with a growl.  
  
"Oh come on, I'm just playing around. Anyhow, I hear you're looking for that little trinket that supposedly even exists in the first place."  
  
"The Infinity Artifact?"  
  
"Yep, that's it. Well I've been sent to assist you....Seeing as you don't know how to find it yourself." He paused and took a bow, gleaming a coy smiled at him after he was done. "I'm also here to help you defeat any 'resistance' you may have."  
  
"They sent you here because they thought I'm not strong enough to take down my father alone, huh?"  
  
"Wow..." Drak said after a small pause. "You're good. But yeah, that's it in a nutshell. So ready to begin?"  
  
"No, not with you anyway. I don't need help."  
  
"Oh but I think you do. Plus Sparky would be nice back up, wouldn't you agree?"  
  
Ash shook his head. "No, I don't. I didn't ask for help and I'm not about to take hand outs. Leave me be."  
  
"Ash, you have a day left. I know where to find your father and this artifact, you don't. You need me and I need you."  
  
"You need me? Ha, and why's that?" He asked with a small smirk.  
  
"Well, you're his son. You might be able to lower his guard so I can get a quick stab in." Drak started to mock stab an invisible person in the back.  
  
"That's under-handed. If I'm to fight my father. It'll be a fair fight. Figures a lowly demon such as yourself would think up a cowardly strategy such as that." Ash could feel Drak's power and knew he was far from a 'lowly demon.'  
  
Drak sighed. "Oh so you call fighting the single most greatest being to date, who is equipped with fully powered up and devastating weapons known as Alastor and Ifrit, along with his rumored to be modified and increasingly stronger DT fair? Well guess I should get your funeral preparations complete."  
  
Ash titled his head. Ash had heard of Alastor as Ifrit but not this 'DT.' "What do you by DT?"  
  
"DT. Devil Trigger. The thing you do when you release your inner 'you' You've used it before, right?"  
  
Ash hesitantly shook his head.  
  
"You've never become your demon self before?"  
  
He shook his head again.  
  
"Seriously?!"  
  
"NO! God is that such a crime?!"  
  
"When you come from such a high-rolling family like yours then YES! Right now you must be at like...forty percent of your full potential! No wonder they sent me to help you!! Man, Kira might have to lend a hand, too....."  
  
Ash growled. "I don't need this 'Devil Trigger' thing. I can handle anything that comes may way without it."  
  
Drak laughed long and hard. "Suuure you can! And I'm leader of the Underworld. Anyway, I'll give you the night to rest but I'll be at your office at the crack of dawn. Be ready seeing as we'll only have one day to stop him."  
  
Drak was about to disappear into his green portal on the wall when Ash stopped him. "Hey! How did you find me, anyway?"  
  
"I followed you. Guess it was just your dumb luck that you had to come to Sparky's resting spot. Lucky I found you when I did."  
  
"What about that little girl with the REALLY long hair?"  
  
Drak turned completely around. "What little girl?" He had the look of hate itself in his eyes.  
  
Ash scratched his head. "Oh, guess it was nothing. Some kids where playing around at the other part of the station and I thought one of them was your daughter or something."  
  
"Heh, ummm.....Ok then. Anyway I'll be seeing you tomorrow. Until then Mr. Sparda." And with that, he was gone.  
  
Ash rubbed his chin as he headed out of the station and walked back to his bike which was miles away from where he was now. As he walked he thought about the child. She was saying something about his father.....But what? She obviously must not be in the same league as Kilik or Drak seeing as both the dragon-demon and Kilik's name brought fear to her. So maybe.....Maybe she had proof of his father's innocence? He would have to check out the house he first saw her at tomorrow morning to get some clear facts. Man, this job was getting harder and harder.  
  
A lone figure watched form a perch high above the town. A long black shroud covering their whole body.  
  
"You poor puppet." A feminine voice said from under the cloak. "How long with they play with your strings?" 


	4. Ashley, Reality Orb, and more confusion

Author's note: Hmmm, ok. This is moving kind of slow but I'm trying to make it that why to give it mystery. Don't sweat it, there will ACTUALLY be some answers to these questions in the next chap so be patient! Ok, don't really have a lot to say this time but hey, just gives you more time to read the chapter, eh? Ok, here it is!  
  
This is Blades. "Good reading equals good times." I'm out.  
  
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Ash woke to the continuous beat of his alarm clock which he rarely set. The sun hadn't even started to creep over the horizon as he started getting dressed. Drak said he was going to show up at the crack of dawn so Ash should at least start moving out well before that. After firmly strapping Salvation to his back and double checking that Ebony and Ivory were in the right places, Ash put his shades on and left his office, jumping on his bike and riding off.  
  
Ash weaved absent-mindedly through the now just forming traffic as he finally reached his destination. He walked up to the door and knocked loudly. The same old man came out. "Oh hello there. Is there something you forgot to do from last time....?"  
  
The man seemed pretty nervous. Maybe because a Devil Hunter just showed up for a second time to his house.....This time not invited.  
  
"I saw a little girl here a couple days ago. I also saw her yesterday at a train station. She has some information that I need. Could I see her for a second?"  
  
The man, now a lighter shade of white, said. "Little girl? I'm not sure who you're talking about. Now if you'll excuse me."  
  
Ash stuck his hand out to stop the quickly closing door. "What about your daughter's room? The one I cleared a Blade from? I'm guessing that doesn't exist anymore?"  
  
"No it does....But she's an adult and doesn't live here anymore. I just keep it like that as a memory."  
  
Ash scoffed. "Sure ya do. Are you going to let me in or am I going to have to force myself in?"  
  
The man tried to slam the door shut but Ash was obviously much stronger and flung it open, walking in.  
  
"You can't be in here! I'm calling the police!"  
  
Ash growled slightly. "What are you trying to hide?"  
  
The man ignored him and ran to the phone but Ash was that much faster. His hand firmly around the man's neck, he plastered him up against a wall. "What are you trying to hide?!" He asked, his voice a bit higher then before.  
  
The man gagged but didn't answer. Ash let his grip loosen slightly, allowing him to speak. After awhile the man didn't answer him. Instead he pointed in a direction behind Ash. To a figure hiding in the corner.  
  
"You...." Ash said, letting go of the man as he turned to face her.  
  
"She can't speak. She's a mute.....A special one, at that." The man coughed out from behind him.  
  
Ash glances back over to the old man. "What do you mean? I heard her talk to me before I left this place."  
  
"She was just getting your attention. She can only do that so many times."  
  
"She made a screeching noise.....In the station."  
  
"Yep, that must have been her. That's the only sound she can make."  
  
Ash was now facing the man completely. "What is she?"  
  
"Don't quite know. Thought she was a demon for the longest time but she's not. I've been told that by experts that are like.....Well like you."  
  
Ash raised an eyebrow over his shades. "Like me?"  
  
"Y'know.....Demonic."  
  
"How do you know I'm a demon....?"  
  
"Oh your mom told me. She's quite a nice gal. She's the one who said Ashley wasn't a demon.....Just something strange....er.....unique."  
  
Ash was now floored. This man knew his mother? "How?" He accidentally asked out-loud.  
  
"How what?"  
  
"How do you know her?"  
  
"We let her stay here years and years ago. You were no more then a year old or so. She looked pretty beaten up and pretty much fainted on our door step. Now I'm not one to judge but.....Well she looked pretty scary but you were just sitting there, crying. I couldn't turn you two down. I let her in and patched her up. Tying her to the wall just in case. She woke up and after a lot of convincing, proved she wasn't evil. We got to be pretty good friends and she stayed for a couple years here. Now and then going away to go to some place to look for your dad. Ashley was born right on your fifth birthday. So we gave her the female version of your name, Ash. Unfortunatly her mother died at birth....Sad thing...."  
  
He didn't know what to say.....What could he say? "Thanks....." Was all he could find. "....For helping us." He added.  
  
"Oh I should be thanking you and your mom. She saved us many an occasion. Ashley's so unique. People don't like that, lotta people want to end what they don't understand. They also think she's a big part of something. I don't even know what that something is but I swore I'd never let anything happen to her. Age is really catching up with me and I'm not sure if I'll be able to hold that promise for much longer. Perhaps your mother could watch her...?"  
  
Ahs closed his fists and he looked to the ground. "My mother's dead. She was murdered by someone and I don't know who...."  
  
The man was looking down too, now. "Sorry, I didn't know...."  
  
"No, It's ok. I understand. So who's going to look after her now?" Ash asked, trying to get off the subject.  
  
"I'm not sure....."  
  
Ashley strolled up to the man and sat on his lap, playing with his balding head, smiling all the while. Ash smiled too as he watched on. The man looked up at him and watched his face for a small while. Ash wondered what he was looking at and just now realized how big his grin was getting. He placed his hand over his mouth and turned the other way, trying hard not to smile in spite of himself.  
  
After a moment to think, the old man rubbed Ashley's head and asked Ash if he would take her in with him. "I know it's a large thing to ask someone I don't even know....But you remind me of your mother and she was the most kind soul I know. I thought if there was anyone she'd be safe with.....It was you."  
  
Ash gave a hard, deep sigh and turned his attention to the roof. "I don't know. I'm in a tough business. I put my neck on the line every day. She'd be in permanent danger."  
  
"But who better to protect her from demons then a Devil Hunter?!"  
  
Ash sighed again but with less force. He looked down at the girl and felt his smile sliding back onto his face. "Alright, I'll do it.....But I'm not saying it's going to be permanent. I have a lot of friends. They should be able to find a good enough stronghold for her."  
  
The man clapped his hands. "Good, good! Very well then! But I don't think you'll be giving her away. She really grows on you after awhile."  
  
"Yeah, bet she does." Ash muttered, picking her up off the man and holding her for a while. "So you're going to be coming with me, is that alright?"  
  
She gave a small nod and looked back at the man who gave her another hug and a huge grin. She smiled in return and gave a more enthusiastic nod.  
  
"Great! So it's settled. I guess I'm out of here...."  
  
"Good bye and please, PLEASE take good care of her!"  
  
"Don't worry, I will." With that, Ash was off and to back at his office, going much slower then he had ever done in his life, now knowing he was riding with a child.  
  
He opened the door and let Ashley down, allowing her to explore his office/house. Ash thought he'd better child-proof his room before letting her in there. His 'pictures' would not be a good influence to her.  
  
As he cleaned up the sun finally made its way over the horizon and Ash waited at his desk, Ashley on his lap, for Drak to come by. He bounced the little girl up and down as something just slipped though his think skull. He now had a child to cloth and feed! How was he going to take care of a child?! He was only eighteen himself! He didn't know the first thing to do!! He sighed again, something he was getting better at nowadays. A couple minutes of silence Ash finally asked what she knew about his father. She grabbed and pen and some paper form his desk and began scribbling on it.  
  
She showed it to Ash who read it aloud. "'he's being framed.' What? Are you sure? How do you know this? What about this artifact? What is it really?"  
  
Again she scribbled, this time much longer and seemingly harder as she dug the pencil into the paper. Ash read it again. "'I am sure. Everyone is lying to you. This Infinity Artifact is just a ruse. They're trying to get you to find your father before the full moon.' But why?"  
  
More scribbling. "'Stories say that's when he and his weapons are the weakest. He'd be easy pray.' So the artifact he was after was just a hoax?"  
  
More moving of the pencil. "'No, there is something the demons believe he's trying to get into his possession. It's called the Reality Orb. It nullifies all arcane powers, including that of demons. Dante would only be half powered because of it's cancellation of his own abilities but he would still be strong enough to thoroughly take out a world of demons who can do nothing more then squirm around.' Wow.....How do you know all this."  
  
She grabbed another sheet of paper. "'Your mother used to tell me stories about him and everything that went on in the Underworld. His last fight was over her freedom and the possession of the Reality Orb. She doesn't know who came out the victor, though.' That's.....Amazing."  
  
There was a loud knock on the door and Ashley bolted up, running right for Ash's room. He knew she knew who was at the door and he knew why she was so afraid so he thought it'd be better if she just stayed there. He opened the door and let Drak in.  
  
"Hello, friend!" He said, slapping Ash's back and walking in, taking a seat at his own desk like he belonged there. "So, you ready?"  
  
"Na, I already found the thing my dad was after."  
  
"What?! You found the.....Um, artifact?"  
  
Ash nodded. "Yep, not sure how it's supposed to work though."  
  
He walked over to his desk and picked up his paperweight, it was the crystallized blood of a Shadow. The very first Shadow he ever killed. It was a deep red with lines of black swirling around in it. He put it in Drak's hands. "So, how does it work?"  
  
"Oh, we're not sure. Didn't we tell you that?"  
  
"But it came with instructions. They said only half-bloods can use it. That's why my pop wanted it so bad. It says they only need to wish for their most secret desire and it will come true."  
  
Drak's eyes were sparkling almost as bright as gold. He held in firmly in his hands. "Are you serious?! It's that easy??"  
  
"Well it's not THAT easy. You DO have to be half demon and half human. I'd use if but I'm three-quarters, remember?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah you are!! Wow...This is amazing..... I didn't know this actually was real but here it is! In my hands!"  
  
"Yep, there it is. Better get it back to Kilik, right?" Ash reached his hand out for it but Drak pulled back, hard.  
  
"No! He's a pureblood!! What's he going to do with it?!"  
  
"Hey, you're right...Maybe you should use it then...right here. Right now."  
  
"I will!!" Drak laughed, almost hysterically, and held the jewel over his head, shouting. "Give my eternal POWER!"  
  
There was a pause as he waited for it to do something but nothing happened, Ash would have been laughing his ass off if this wasn't so serious. He brought it back to eye level and practically yelled. "Why isn't it working?!"  
  
In a second, Ash had him up against a wall, right hand pushing the front of his neck into the back and left hand shoving the barrel of a black .50 deep into his skull. "That's because it's a fake, you little bastard. Guess we're both even. You believed my lie and I believed yours. Now.....Tell me why yours came to be in the first place?"  
  
Drak growled at Ash, he knew he was screwed but he didn't know what to say. "It was Kilik's idea! Ask him! I know nothing, just an errand boy."  
  
There was a creek and someone came out of Ash's room. It was Ashley.  
  
"YOU!!" Drak roared as he shoved Ash down, flying towards the little girl.  
  
Ash couldn't get up quick enough to stop him....But he soon found out he didn't have to. Before Drak had a chance to sink his swords into Ashley's flesh a bone-splitting screech filled the whole building, braking windows, taking things off the walls, and bringing some of the walls themselves crashing to the ground. Drak fell to the ground as he body seemed to wiggle like jello as he took the full force of the attack. As quickly as it started, the screaming stopped.  
  
Ash took his hands off his ears. "Holy crap, warn me next time!" He couldn't hear his own voice over the loud ringing in his ears.  
  
"Gah! Is this were you got your information from, Ash?! This.....THING?! How could you be so stupid? She's the main reason your mother is dead and your father went insane, you know? Oh sure, you don't have to believe me but I'll come back with FACTS to prove my case!" Drak vanished into a glowing green pit that had formed under his body.  
  
Ash stared at the young girl. "Is that true? Is what he said true??"  
  
She feverishly shook her head no and quickly ran into his room, locking the door. Ash lied on his back and screamed as loud as he could to the roof above him. He was STILL at square one! And he didn't know who to believe!! HOW did he get mixed up in this mess in the first place?!?!  
  
"He's starting to fall apart at the seams, sir." Drak said to a shadowy figure before him.  
  
"Yeah, it's just a matter of time before he completely snaps." Kilik added, coming out from behind Drak.  
  
"Good." A voice from the shadow said. "But just make sure he's able to lure his dad out of hiding before he looses it. If Dante doesn't show himself then this whole exercise was moot. Do you three understand?"  
  
The two men in front of the figure nodded but a third body, a female one, to the side didn't agree. "I don't like how we're screwing with his head. The little girl is only making this worse."  
  
"I don't care what you think, Kira, as long as you do as I say and don't interfere."  
  
She 'hmphed' and vanished into the darkness. The figure turned to Kilik. "Keep an eye on her. I don't trust her loyalty. Drak you go and continue pushing the young Sparda. Our plans will not fail. The pawn will bring forth the king and then we'll have exactly what we want...." The figure gave a deep bellowing laugh as the two demons faded into the walls, going back to their assigned tasks. 


	5. The truth is told

Author's note: Wow, sorry for not updating this as much as I should...I just got FFXI like a couple weeks ago and so far that has been my world...I WILL try to do at least this story on the weekends to please my adoring fans (Especially Ekobean =p) Anyway, hope you all like this long awaited chapter.  
  
This is Blades. "Good reading equals good times." I'm out.  
  
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It's been three long days since the latest events in Ash's little 'job' and so far he's slept on his office desk all the nights seeing as the sonic- boom-voiced child wouldn't leave his room. His left a plate of food by the door three times a day and each time he looked over at it the food had disappeared, showing she was at least still alive.  
  
This was affecting everything in Ash's life, even his hunting carrier, he just hasn't wanted to take on as many jobs for his mind is always on his father and what the HELL is happening around him.  
  
"Something's gotta give." He said to himself for the hundredth time as he spun around in his chair.  
  
Suddenly the phone rang and gave him a small startle, he thought of it as cause and effect. Cause was he wasn't taking jobs anymore and effect.....No more phone calls. He stared at the receiver for a while, mentally telling the person on the other line to hang up and leave him alone yet it kept ringing...For twenty minutes straight. Whatever this guy wanted he sure wanted it BAD.  
  
"Hello?!" Ash half said-half screamed into the phone as he finally picked it up.  
  
"I'm sorry to put you through this, I never meant for you to get involved." A click soon came after.  
  
"That man...." Ash said out loud, phone still in hand. "He was the one who called before asking if I was Dante's son.....What the hell is going on?"  
  
As soon as he put the phone down it rang again. With eyes shooting out of his skull from his now suddenly busy phone, he picked it up before the second ring even came.  
  
"Hello...Uh, Devil Will Cry. Name, place, and problem."  
  
A pause before a feminine voice that sounded around his age came through. "Kira, top of the Bats Hotel, yours." Then another familiar click came.  
  
Ash slammed the phone down. "Don't people say goodbye anymore?!?!"  
  
He sighed and walked to his door, speaking through it to Ashley. "Hey, I'm going out...Might have a lead on this puzzle I'm supposed to call a job...."  
  
There was no response nor did Ash wait for one, he was out the door before his words were even finished.  
  
He sped down the road to the hotel, it was clear across town and knowing this place.....It was going to take awhile, but it was getting late in the night and the only real source of light that was coming down was the light of the full moon which looked oddly....Blue. Ignoring it, he drove at his usually speed of mach 2 and soon enough found the Hotel.  
  
Getting out he was now on foot, walking into the large building he was greeted by the doorman. He was saying something about the place being full or something but Ash didn't catch it as he brushed passed him, after that he heard him shouting in an angrier tone but still Ash didn't really hear him.  
  
He walked up to the counter and looked at the woman behind the desk. "I need to get to the roof." He said nonchalantly.  
  
She looked at him with raised eyebrows, examining the large sword on his back more then anything. "Riiight and what are you exactly."  
  
"Demon Hunter, you have a Banshi on your roof. Not only are they bad luck and could ruin your business but they like to wolf down humans' souls on full moons and well...Have you looked outside lately?" To stress his point he shoved his card into her face.  
  
Her face was fading to a lighter shade of white and as she spoke a small stutter escaped her lips. "Are you s-serious?"  
  
"Deathly serious and I need to get up there right now but by myself, got it? Oh and the less people that know the better, understand? Don't want a big commotion." Ask smirked at her and winked over his shades.  
  
She shook her head in agreement and pointed to the stairs. Ash bowed and said thank you to her laughing as he went up the staircase. Humans are SOOO gullible, tell them a big baddy is about to eat their souls and they become mush. It's almost cute....Almost.....  
  
He found his way to the roof and moved to the edge, looking over and around the building. As he looked to his right he once again saw the full moon peaking over a larger building next to him, it was more blue then ever now, almost as dark as his eyes. He seemed mesmerized by the sight and stared for what seemed like an eternity at it all the while thinking why exactly he was here anyway.....He normally didn't jump like a frog at calls were the person said three words max.....But the way she said it.....and the importance behind them. He couldn't resist. Plus she sounded pretty hot.  
  
Ash sighed and shifted his eyes a fraction to the left.....That's when he saw her, in the light of the moon. White cloak with hood covering her entire face, along with black clothes and a long white pole in her hand with blue arcane symbols in it. Time stopped, sound defended.....Nothing moved. An hour became a second and a second became an eternity. Ash's senses didn't come back until it was almost too late.  
  
A large explosion erupted from where Ash had once been standing only moments ago. Ash himself had leapt, and almost flew, backwards to the other corner of the building, being closely followed by the creator of the explosion in the first place. Kira.  
  
It was like nothing and everything happened at once. Ash had never fought so fast before in his life. As if his mind took a back seat to instinct, actions registered in his head minutes after they had actually happened. His sword was out and clashing against the white wooden pole of Kira, just then Ash leapt of from the hole he has suddenly formed after being plowed into the roof by the said woman.  
  
Ash swung downwards and locked weapons with Kira. NOW he could actually think straight!!  
  
"Holy damn!" He said to her through gritted teeth. "Quite fast there, huh?"  
  
"And powerful." She responded with just as much grunting. "See that hole in the side of the building? That's from one swing of my pole, good thing you moved." She gave a small wink then leapt back, taking a defensive position.  
  
Ash did the same and looked at her. "So is this all you wanted? To fight me? And if you say it was just a test I am going to be so pissed."  
  
She laughed slightly then said. "In a way, yes....I needed to see if you'd be strong enough to take on Drak or Kilik when you finally turn against them."  
  
"Planning my fate out, are we?"  
  
"Ha, it's already planned out...You just have to follow it."  
  
"Oh really, so what's my fate?"  
  
"I don't know...That's something only you will figure out."  
  
"You like to talk in riddles, don't you?"  
  
"Only to annoy others." She laughed and stuck her tongue out at Ash.  
  
Ash growled. "So why would I turn on Drak and Kilik anyway?"  
  
"Cause they're feeding you some bull to make you find your father and bring him out of hiding, that's why."  
  
"You're lying. I don't believe you'd tell me the truth so easily."  
  
"Ohh, but I am. I might be the millionth 'truth' you've heard but you'll see I'm right.....But hey, don't take my word for it, take if from the horse's mouth..."  
  
"My father..?  
  
"Bingo. Find him and you get the answers to all of your problems...But have fun with that one, no one's been able to find him for a good eighteen years."  
  
"Why do you guys want to find him so badly, anyway?!"  
  
"Our boss has some unfinished business with him...They fought once a long time ago but it came to a draw. He wants a re-match."  
  
"Well I am going to find my father but none of you will know where he is, got that?"  
  
She laughed long and hard from that." You think we're not watching you 24/7?! In fact, they're watching me right now they just wont attack seeing as that may ruin their 'plan'. Well I know one thing....Mommy's going to be mad when I get home." She ended with a smirk.  
  
"I heard Drak say your name before....Something about Devil Trigger. What is that?"  
  
"Ha! I can't teach you right now! That's for our 'second date', this was just to screw with your mind some more.....But each time we talk, a piece of the puzzle we be solved finally leading to what you really want.....The only thing is if you can see what you want through the facade of 'facts' around here. Well until then, my love." And with a small bow, she was gone in a flash of light.  
  
Ash was stunned.....Five minutes passed and he didn't even know what happened in any of those minutes....  
  
"Don't believe her." A voice said from behind Ash forcing him to turn around. It was Drak. "She's full of hot air, she's rebelling against us because we're inviting the 'Son of Dante' to help us. She thinks you might keep him away from us or better yet, join his side against us.....So now she's trying to get on your good side to save her own ass."  
  
"I'm...So confused! I don't know who to believe!!"  
  
"Believe what you will, Ash.....But remember the truth WILL come from Dante himself and when you see that he'll kill even his own son, you'll wish you listened to us."  
  
Ash fell to his knees shaking his head. "So many lies, so many truths...I don't know what to do!!!"  
  
Drak sighed and kneeled next to him, extending a hand. "Ash.....Help us, please. We can help you too, we're your only friends around here.....You can trust up. Please Ash..."  
  
Ash looked at his hand, slowly brining his to meet it. With great hesitation he pulled back and put a more hardened metal in it instead. Pointing Ebony at Drak and now firmly at his feet, he said. "I will do this by myself and starting right now I align with no one. If we meet again, I will kill you.....Understand?"  
  
Drak shrugged and stood up, not caring that Ebony was focused down his throat. "Fine, whatever. But you'll come crawling back.....You see." A flash of green and Ash was once again by himself.....Alone.  
  
The drive home was nothing to him, time was meaningless yet again. He was home before he even blinked. He opened the door and through his gear down next to it, growling at the sight that was by his desk. Kira was sitting pretty in his chair.  
  
"What do you want...?"  
  
"Second date, Ashy. I saw Drak came after you quicker then I thought so I here to make you believe the truth before it's too late....And she's going to help me....Plus I was right, Mom's not to happy with me as of late."  
  
She pointed to Ash's room, the door was now open and Ashley stood in it frame, smiling and waving.  
  
Ash sighed and sat on his desk. "Ok, tell me everything."  
  
"Oh we will.....But first thing's first..."  
  
"Oh the Devil Trigger thing?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Ok, then explain away."  
  
Kira laughed again and started walking away to the stairs that lead to the roof. "Heh, you think I was just going to TALK about DT? Oh no, my good boy.....You think our fight before was good...You ain't seen nothing yet."  
  
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Author's note: Ok, this is exactly half of what I normally write but with good reason. The twisting mind-benders are down and over with. Now the action comes in and comes in hard and fast. No more confusing poor lil Ash for the truth is about to emerge...With force. Stick around till next time, everyone. It's gonna get good. 


End file.
